


lost

by sleepynayeon



Category: TWICE (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Angst, F/F, Fluff, IM SORRY FOR THE BANGTWICE, SEOKJIN IS A VIOLENT BOY, Violence, and im so sorry seokjin, have fun reading this, he deserves better, i dont ship bangtwice, i honestly changed seokjin into my character, idk if its actually graphic tho, im so sorry sweetie, its just his name and his blood sweat and tears era appearance that stay the same, not really - Freeform, only a lil fluff tho, theres language near the end lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-04 04:04:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12161172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepynayeon/pseuds/sleepynayeon
Summary: chaeyoung thought she had found her way.then why did she feel so lost?





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> title is inspired by our very own bangtan's song, Lost.  
> (i still stan them but NO i am NOT an army lmao)  
> as i said in the tags, seokjin plays a negative role and i feel soooo bad for making him do this :( if you dont wanna read that kinda stuff dont read this  
> i wrote this a while back anyways its on aff and you can see when i posted each chapter  
> go ahead and judge me

Chaeyoung dropped her heavy backpack onto the ground, sighing in relief as the weight of three textbooks got lifted off her shoulders. She headed to the kitchen, and grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge, heaving another sigh as she sat down on the couch. She opened the can, tilted her head back, and chugged down half of the can’s contents. Her hand crept towards the remote, and as she finished off the soda, she turned the T.V. on.

 

Her phone buzzed.

 

She set the can down and pulled her phone out of her pocket, viewing the text sent to her.

 

**From: health practitioner**

**I know you’re drinking coke, Chaeyoungie!!!**

**Put the can down right now and go get something more healthier to drink!!!**

 

Chaeyoung’s lips curled into a smile.

 

**To: health practitioner**

**sure sure**

**are you stalking me**

 

Without waiting for a reply, Chaeyoung rose to her feet and headed back to the kitchen, this time getting a glass of juice instead of soda. She set the glass down on the table, retrieved the can of soda, and dumped the rest of the soda down the drain, tossing the can into the trash can. She made her way to the couch once more, to be greeted by her phone vibrating.

 

**From: health practitioner**

**I know you very well, we’ve known each other since first grade**

**I know all your habits**

 

Chaeyoung repressed the urge to roll her eyes. _Geez, confident much?_

 

**To: health practitioner**

**i totally believe you**

**ok see im drinking juice right now JUICE not coke**

 

Her phone buzzed immediately after she sent the text, startling her.

 

**From: health practitioner**

**Orange juice, am I right? Good.**

 

She stared at her phone. _...How’d she know...?_

 

**From: health practitioner**

**Oh and by the way I’m right outside your door.**

 

_What?_

 

She scrambled to the door, throwing it open, to be greeted by a girl with wavy-straight brown hair that rested on her shoulders, her brown eyes full of warmth, a smile crossing her face, and her hands clutching a bag.

 

...Bag?

 

“M-mina, why’re you here?” Chaeyoung stammered, glancing repeatedly at the bag. “School’s over, I thought you had headed home.”

 

_Myoui Mina. Otherwise known as Health Practitioner. My best friend since...well, since forever...since first grade, really. We’re like sisters. We know each other really well. We’re almost always together. There’s not one day where we haven’t talked to each other for over three hours, or texted each other until midnight._

 

_I wish we could just be best friends._

 

_I wish I didn’t have a crush on her._

 

“I decided to come over and study,” Mina replied, pushing past Chaeyoung and setting her bag down on the table. She spotted Chaeyoung’s phone, and picked it up, her lips immediately forming a pout. “My name is health practitioner? I’m hurt, Chaeyoung.”

 

“Yeah, well, that is basically what you are,” Chaeyoung retorted, closing the door. She snatched her phone from Mina’s hands and pointed to the bag. “What’s that?”

 

Mina blushed, looking away. “Oh, that...? Just a gift. For someone.”

 

“Is that someone me?” Chaeyoung inquired, putting a mock look of expectation on her face. _Oh, look, another thing I wish for. I wish it was for me._

 

“Unfortunately, no, but I’ll get you something next time,” Mina said, crushing the small bit of hope Chaeyoung had. “It’s for someone...else.”

 

“Someone else, you say.” Chaeyoung raised her eyebrows, and quickly grabbed the bag, opening it and seeing what was inside. A few seconds later, Mina pulled the bag away from Chaeyoung, panic on her face, but it was too late.

 

The damage had been done.

 

Chaeyoung squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to speak, not wanting to move, not wanting to do anything.

 

_To Seokjin, of all people. Seokjin...!_

 

_I’ve known Mina for several years now. I know how she’s straight as a pole, and which kind of guys she goes for. I know everything about her._

 

_Ot, well, I did. Not anymore._

 

_Seokjin was the guy who relentlessly bullied Mina, back when we were kids in elementary school. I had to constantly protect her, and that was kind of how we bonded, me always sticking up for her. He was pretty nasty. As we all grew up, he became more polite, nice, and his voice was, as the girls put it, “to die for.” Obviously, I don’t go for the guys, so I couldn’t really relate to dying for his voice. I still didn’t trust him. His behavior was off, especially when we became freshmen two years ago. He was beyond kind, he apologized to me daily for how he acted back then, and he was the perfect guy. I knew something was wrong. I watched him. I found out that he was, in fact, really cruel, outside of school._

 

_He abused people. His siblings, his mom. He started spewing insults at random women who wouldn’t stop when he catcalled. He even took them, sometimes, and did the unthinkable. I don’t want to remember what I saw._

 

_I knew no one would believe me if I told them. I was just this art geek who was small and cute and innocent. A baby cub. (That’s what Mina calls me, sometimes.) No one believes adorable teenagers who look like they’re nine years old. The only person who’d believe me was Mina. So I warned her. I told her to steer clear of Seokjin. It took a bit of convincing, but after I took her once to watch him, she was definitely going to not go anywhere near him._

 

_That was two years ago. I thought it had stuck in her head. Guess not._

 

“Mina, do you remember what I showed you two years ago?” Chaeyoung asked sweetly, her eyes still shut tight. _I don’t want to look at her._

 

There was silence. Then footsteps, rustling. Chaeyoung felt a hand brush her own. “It was two years ago, Chaeyoung,” Mina said softly. “Two years. He’s changed.”

 

“Oh? Is that so?” Chaeyoung scoffed, opening her eyes but avoiding Mina’s gaze. “Do you have proof? Like the proof I showed you of him abusing women?”

 

“Again, Chaeyoungie, that was two years ago,” Mina said, still quietly, but her voice was solid, like rocks, a slight edge entering it as she finished her sentence. “He stopped all that.”

 

“Didn’t know you guys talked,” Chaeyoung said, her tone dripping with disgust. Yet on the inside, she was begging Mina not to do what she’d inevitably do. _Don’t do it, Minari...don’t do it...you’ll regret it..._

 

“We’re dating,” Mina snapped.

 

Chaeyoung’s whole world tilted.

 

With great difficulty, she met Mina’s eyes, swallowing. “Repeat that for me, would you?”

 

“We’re. Dating.” Mina was the one to look away now, the edge melting from her voice and being replaced with something similar to guilt.

 

_Oh, hell no._

 

“Do you know exactly how bad that guy is?” Chaeyoung asked, making her voice dangerously quiet. “I don’t care if I saw all this two years ago. He could be worse now. He could do anything to you.”

 

“I talked with him about that,” Mina calmly replied. Well, not exactly calmly, for there was a slight tremor in her voice. “He said he’s done with that. He’ll never do any of that again. And if he does, I’ll be the first person he’ll tell. He’s a really nice guy. He takes care of me. He’s very reliable. Chaeyoung, he loves me, and I love him.”

 

_Oh, HELL no._

 

“Enough of this crap,” Chaeyoung whispered. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, partly because her crush liked something else, partly because her heart had been shattered into pieces, and partly because Mina actually believed all the bull Seokjin was telling her. _Mina was better than this...once upon a time._ “You trust him just because he’s nice? Because he takes care of you? Because he’s reliable? Because you love him?” Chaeyoung’s voice had been rising throughout all that, and her voice reached a yell at the very end. “Because he _told_ you that he was done?”

 

“Chaeyoung, I –”

 

“Don’t ‘Chaeyoung, I’ me!” Chaeyoung screamed, on her feet now and looking down at Mina, whose expression was a mixture of horror and sadness. “I had warned you over and over again. I had warned you, and I thought you listened, but apparently not. I thought you were better than this. I thought you weren’t the type of person who’d just believe someone based on their words. I didn’t know you were so trusting, Mina...! And especially of him!”

 

_I’m done._

 

“You know what? Get out.”

 

Mina stared at her, eyes wide. “Wh-what?”

 

“You heard me,” Chaeyoung said, averting her eyes away from Mina. “Get. Out.” She grabbed the bag, walked over to the door, opened the door, and tossed the bag onto the sidewalk. All the contents of it spilled out – a letter, a wristwatch, and flowers. Trembling with anger, Chaeyoung waited by the door, her finger outstretched to the sidewalk. “Get out of my house, Mina.”

 

Mina got up. Without another word, she headed over to the door, and saw herself out, most likely flinching when Chaeyoung slammed the door behind her. Chaeyoung breathed heavily, situating herself on the couch again. _...How could she have been so stupid...?_ Her phone vibrated. A text from Mina.

 

**From: health practitioner**

**I’m sorry, Chaeyoung.**

 

**To: health practitioner**

**It’s too late.**

**Don’t come running back to me after he rapes you.**

 

And with that, the phone slipped out of Chaeyoung’s fingers, and she started to cry.

 

_How?_

 

_And why?_

 

_I trusted her. I trusted her to make the right decisions. I trusted her...! And this is what I get?_

 

_I loved her._

 

_And this is what I get?_

 

_This is what I get for all those warnings, all that trust and love?_

 

_...What am I going to do?_

 

That night, Chaeyoung found it hard to fall asleep. The image of Mina crying outside, gathering her things, wondering where she went wrong haunted her. Everytime Chaeyoung closed her eyes, it would be filled with Mina’s face. Her smiling face. Her sad face. Her face streaked with tears.

 

_I can’t live without Mina._

 

Then Mina’s face as she talked about Seokjin appeared in Chaeyoung’s mind.

 

_I’ll have to._

 

_I can only hope she changes her mind soon. If not...then the Myoui Mina I grew up knowing has changed. I don’t know her anymore._

 

_She’s made her decision. I made mine._

 

_Then...why do I feel so lost?_


	2. chapter 2

**Five Months Later**

 

“Are you coming tomorrow?”

 

Chaeyoung turned in her seat to face seven girls who were looking at her expectantly. She looked each of them in the eye. _Chou Tzuyu. Minatozaki Sana. Hirai Momo. Kim Dahyun. Im Nayeon. Park Jihyo. Yoo Jeongyeon._

 

_All of them had become friends with Mina and I. We’ve all known each other since third grade._

 

_All of them know about Mina and I._

 

_About Seokjin._

 

_Nayeon, Jihyo, Sana, and Momo are closer to Mina than they are to me. Dahyun, Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon are closer to me than they are to Mina. But we all get along fine. Well, I mean, Dahyun and I get along fine with them. Jeongyeon and Tzuyu sometimes have...difficulty._

 

“Tomorrow’s the last day of school,” Nayeon prompted, a sparkle in her eyes. “Seniors won’t be here. We’ll be the oldest kids around.”

 

“Most people aren’t coming,” Chaeyoung said, turning back around to finish working on her art project. She only had this period to finish, and she didn’t want to fail art.

 

“That makes it better!” Jeongyeon exclaimed, thumping Chaeyoung on her shoulder. “We’ll be alone – no other students, just us, ruling the school. Plus, I bet teachers will give us free periods.”

 

Chaeyoung shook her head. “I’m not wasting my time coming to school, Jeongyeon.”

 

She turned around just in time to see Momo pout and say, “Fine, if you won’t come, I’ll call Mina.”

 

_Oh, will you now._

 

And just at that moment, Seokjin and Mina walked in, hand and hand. Chaeyoung repressed the urge to groan loudly. _Speak of the devil._

 

Tzuyu, Jeongyeon, and Dahyun got up, looking down at Chaeyoung, waiting for her to stand up too. They had most likely anticipated her to stand up and leave, like she had been doing for the last five months, avoiding Mina whenever she could. But this time, Chaeyoung shook her head at them, and gestured for them to sit down. They did, reluctantly and confusion evident on their faces.

 

It wasn’t like Mina was trying to avoid Chaeyoung as well. In fact, she’d try to talk to Chaeyoung whenever they passed each other, but Chaeyoung would brush her off. Chaeyoung’s phone would be spammed with calls and texts, all from Mina, asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness for what? Chaeyoung didn’t see Mina breaking up with Seokjin. Chaeyoung didn’t see Mina realizing that dating Seokjin was a mistake. There was nothing to forgive.

 

“Are you sure you want to stay?” Tzuyu breathed, leaning close to Chaeyoung, close enough that Chaeyoung could feel her warm breath on her neck, close enough that the dark purple in Tzuyu’s hair that normally looked like black actually looked like purple. “You don’t have to do this. We’ll all leave with you, if you’re uncomfortable.”

 

“Five months of running, Tzuyu,” Chaeyoung quietly replied. “Five months of running away from her. I’m not going to talk to her, but I won’t run away, either. She can do whatever she wants; she knows I’ll ignore her. There’s no point in running away.”

 

“Minari!” Sana greeted Mina cheerfully, with a quick glance at Chaeyoung. “Are you coming to school tomorrow?”

 

Chaeyoung caught the glance between Seokjin and Mina before Mina apologetically said, “No, I’m going somewhere with Seokjin.”

 

“Of course,” Chaeyoung muttered under her breath. “Where to? An abandoned shed?”

 

“Calm down, Chaeng,” Dahyun whispered, worry shimmering in her eyes. She looked up at the others, who were sitting up straight, towering over Chaeyoung, acting like a barrier around her – Tzuyu in front of Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon behind with Dahyun. “The bitterness is coming off of you in waves, as Tzuyu would say.”

 

“Don’t you hate it just seeing her with him?” Chaeyoung hissed, her fists clenched. “He could take advantage of her anytime!”

 

Jeongyeon switched places with Dahyun, leaning over to talk to Chaeyoung while Dahyun straightened, watching Mina. “I think you’re worrying,” Jeongyeon murmured. “You’re worrying about Mina. You still care – you still love her.”

 

“I. Do. Not,” Chaeyoung said, denying that fact. But deep inside, she knew, she still loved Mina.

 

_Mina could shoot me, choke me, stab me, and I’d still love her._

 

_But I can’t get over Seokjin..._

 

“Let’s see how this plays out, okay?” Jeongyeon said softly, taking Chaeyoung’s chin in her hand, like she often did; a way to calm Chaeyoung down. “If you get upset, don’t be afraid to leave. The others will understand, if not Mina.”

 

“Fine,” Chaeyoung agreed grudgingly. She turned her attention back to Mina as Jeongyeon straightened to complete the barrier around Chaeyoung. Seokjin’s arm was thrown around Mina’s shoulders, and she was leaning into his side. “You guys can come with us, if you want,” Seokjin said smoothly. Chaeyoung could hear a warning tone in his voice. There would’ve been no difference if he had just screamed for them not to come.

Thankfully, bless her, Nayeon grinned and said, “Sure, we will. Right?” She looked around the group – including Chaeyoung’s barrier, who looked at her, then back at Chaeyoung. “Chaeyoung, we’ll go,” Tzuyu said out of the corner of her mouth, only so Chaeyoung would hear. “We can watch them, okay? And I’ll be with you the whole time.”

 

_Huh. Why not? At least I’ll be able to keep an eye on Seokjin. If he tries to get alone with Mina, I’ll...I’ll kill him._

 

Chaeyoung nodded. “...’Kay.”

 

“Yeah, we’ll go,” Dahyun said, speaking up for their group. Mina met Chaeyoung’s eyes, her eyes widened and filled with hope. _What you want isn’t happening,_ Chaeyoung mouthed. She glanced at Seokjin and quickly looked away, unable to stomach the thought of those two being alone together. The fact that they had already probably spent time alone made her feel like she’d vomit right then and there. Her stomach lurched, and Chaeyoung could feel bile rising up in her throat. _Oh crap._ She rose to her feet and stumbled out of the classroom, aware of the gazes following her, but she didn’t care. She hurried to the bathroom, locked herself in a stall, and retched. Thankfully, nothing came out. _So it was just nausea. At those two._

 

Someone knocked on her stall; soft, gentle taps. Chaeyoung sighed. “Tzuyu, I’m fine. I’ll be right out.”

 

“It’s not Tzuyu.”

 

Chaeyoung stiffened. She didn’t want to open the stall door. She wanted to sit in there until the girl outside left.

 

...Obviously, the girl wouldn’t leave.

 

Chaeyoung forced herself to open the door, and glared straight into Mina’s eyes. “What do you want, Myoui?”

 

Mina flinched. Chaeyoung repressed a harsh laugh; Mina always flinched everytime Chaeyoung would call her ‘Myoui’ instead of ‘Mina’ or ‘Penguin’ or ‘Minari.’ “Wh-why did you agree to come?” Mina finally choked out, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

 

“Because why not?” Chaeyoung said, shrugging. She pushed Mina to the side and opened the bathroom door, stepping out into the hallway. Based on the sound of the footsteps behind her, Mina was right on her heels. _God, why won’t you just leave me alone, Mina? Before I crack and let you back into my life?_

 

“Chaeyoung, I’m sorry.”

 

Chaeyoung stopped. She swallowed, feeling her shield suffer tiny, little cracks at those three words, spoken by a certain soft voiced girl who was so precious to Chaeyoung, it was almost impossible to not talk to her.

 

_Seokjin. Seokjin. Seokjin. Seokjin. SEOKJIN. SEOKJIN. SON CHAEYOUNG, REMEMBER WHAT MINA DID. REMEMBER._

 

The shield repaired itself.

 

“Don’t apologize, Mina,” Chaeyoung said, in an ice cold voice. “Don’t you dare apologize ever again, or I swear, I’ll ruin your life.”

 

“How?” Mina’s voice was still soft, and yet desperate. “Please, Chaeyoung. Give Seokjin another chance.”

 

Chaeyoung laughed. “There we go. It all turns back to him, doesn’t it?”

 

_If she had kept begging for herself, I would’ve stopped. But no. It’s always Seokjin._

 

“Don’t talk to me again. Don’t look at me, don’t go near me, don’t text me or call me. We’re finished. I don’t want to see your face ever again.”

 

The harsh words that slipped so easily out of Chaeyoung’s mouth had just as easily broken her own heart. She didn’t want to think about how Mina was feeling. Without another word, she walked back to the classroom, and sat down, ignoring the gapes of Jihyo, Nayeon, Momo, and Sana, the glare of Seokjin, and the searching gazes of the girls who were making their barrier around her once more. Tzuyu rested her head on Chaeyoung’s shoulder. “Mina went out there. I know you two talked. Are you okay?”

 

_Am I okay?_

 

“No, Tzuyu, I’m not okay. I’m lost.”


	3. chapter 3

**One day later.**

 

**_TZUYU_ **

 

I watch them.

 

 I watch Chaeyoung, who’s busily sipping her green tea and chatting with Dahyun and Jeongyeon, and I watch Mina, who seems okay but really, isn’t. You can tell from the miserable look on her face as she glances at Chaeyoung repeatedly.

 

We’re at a café. That was where Seokjin and Mina were planning to go – a café. I imagine they had expected it to be an intimate date just between the two of them before Seokjin made that stupid offer that Nayeon took immediately. I’m sure he’s regretting his words now. If I told Chaeyoung that, I know it’d make her laugh.

 

Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung, Chaeyoung, Chaeyoung. I know she loves Mina; we all know, even Mina’s group of friends. Mina herself is not aware. Chaeyoung’s loved Mina since junior high. Chaeyoung still loves Mina, even though she avoids Mina as much as possible now. Being her closest friend, now that Mina’s not, I have access to lots of information. Not that I need to know. I already know a lot about Chaeyoung.

 

Including the fact that I love her.

 

I know, I don’t have any chance. She belongs with Mina. And I hope that’s what happens. But until then, I’m savoring every moment I get with her, every conversation we have, every embrace we share, everything. It’s the least I can do, if not date her.

 

Sana’s voice brings me back to the table. “Seokjin, you’ve been taking care of our Minari, right?”

 

God, that girl. Is she bent on tormenting Chaeyoung?

 

I place a hand on Chaeyoung’s shoulder comfortingly. Her body is tense under my hand, but I can feel it slowly relax as I move closer to her, protecting her. Chaeyoung has always been the protector for Mina. It’s my turn to protect Chaeyoung. I notice Dahyun and Jeongyeon scoot closer to Chaeyoung as well. It’s our natural instinct. Jeongyeon has what you’d call a “maternal” attraction to Chaeyoung, and Dahyun is her “bodyguard,” whereas I’m just her best friend. Yes, our group is comprised of Chaeyoung, her mom, her bodyguard, and her best friend. We’re like a family. We call ourselves that from time to time.

 

“Jesus, is Sana _trying_ to piss me off?” Jeongyeon hisses. “I know she can be overly cheery at times, but seriously...!”

 

“Jeongyeon,” Dahyun warns. She shoots a glance at Nayeon and Jihyo, who are glaring at us, just daring us to speak up. We...don’t get along well. They get along with Chaeyoung and Dahyun, but Jeongyeon and I don’t talk to them often. I mean, we all are friends, but for Jeongyeon and I, it’s difficult to mingle with them. They’re the academic, popular, perfect kids, and we’re the, as most people put it, “geeky art students who are either really quiet or really bold but still weird.” Those two don’t mix.

 

I’ll note that Chaeyoung hasn’t spoken up at all.

 

“Ahaha, yes, you bet,” Seokjin chuckles, putting an arm around Mina and bringing her closer to him.

 

...Did Mina just flinch?

 

Was that fear I saw in her eyes?

 

I must be mistaken. I must...!

 

“Tzuyu, how are things going with Chaeyoung?” Seokjin asks innocently.

 

Chaeyoung stiffens again. I open my mouth to answer, but Chaeyoung shakes her head at me and answers instead, her voice a harsh rasp. “What are you implying?”

 

Seokjin tilts his head, his fluffy blond hair falling halfway across his face. “Oh, aren’t you two dating?”

 

Warmth spreads all over my body, from head to toe – a full body blush, basically. I wish we were dating. We’re not. I open my mouth again, and Chaeyoung brings her finger to my lips, glaring straight into Seokjin’s eyes. “We might be, we might not be. What’s it to you?”

 

Seokjin holds his hands up. “Don’t get so defensive, Chaeyoungie, I’m just asking!”

 

_Chaeyoungie?_

 

The warmth in my body at Seokjin’s earlier statement starts heating up to an untolerable boiling desert-like heat. What right does he have to call her Chaeyoungie? Before I can move my lips to say anything, Chaeyoung’s finger presses into my lips harder. I glance down at her and she winks at me, though her other fist is clenched and rage shines in her eyes. “Last I checked, you weren’t dating me, you were dating Myoui,” she says smoothly. “So cut the ‘Chaeyoungie’ crap and use that on your precious girlfriend.” The words “precious girlfriend” are laced with bitter sarcasm, and I can’t help but wince. I look at Mina to see her reaction, but she’s not reacting. I follow her eyes...

 

...and I follow them to Chaeyoung’s finger lingering on my lips.

 

Hmm.

 

Our tables are silent. Momo finally breaks the silence. “Um, if all of you are done, let’s go outside. There’s a really pretty park I think you all should see.”

 

The tension, unfortunately, has not disappeared yet, but it has died down a little. We all get to our feet and make our way outside, my hand now entwined in Chaeyoung’s. It must look like we actually are dating, based on the expressions on Seokjin and Mina’s faces. I repress the urge to smile smugly at them and instead keep my eyes focused straight ahead, marching forward mechanically.

 

Momo guides us to a very beautiful park not too far away from the café. There are flowers, in all shapes and sizes and colors, everywhere. The grass is fresh, bright green and dewy from last night’s rain. The trees, dotted all across the park, provide ample shade from the warm sunlight. “Wow, Momoring,” Dahyun breathes, resting her head on Momo’s shoulder. “Did you find this yourself?”

 

Momo blushes, proving my theory that she, despite not being in “our group,” has a crush on Dahyun. (I’ve had this theory ever since I caught Momo staring longingly at Dahyun about a month ago.) “When we were heading to the café, I spotted this park and I thought you guys would really like it.”

 

“We definitely do,” Jeongyeon and Nayeon say at exactly the same time. They glance at each other, then giggle. It seems the park – and perhaps Momo and Dahyun’s flirting – has crushed the tension between all of us. We split up, for once not going with our own groups. Jeongyeon and Nayeon head towards a tree in the far distance, near a field of flowers. Dahyun, Momo, and Jihyo sit down on a bench under the massive tree close to us. Sana whispers something in Mina’s ear, then grabs Seokjin’s arm and drags him to the field of flowers.

 

That girl. What’s wrong with her? Is she aware that she left Mina with _Chaeyoung_ and I?

 

Minatozaki is interesting, but mildly irritating as well.

 

No, no, not mildly. I meant _very._

 

“Tzuyu,” Chaeyoung murmurs, her hand still entwined in mine as she glares at Mina. “Should we go to...y’know, over there?” She gestures towards another field of flowers to our right, a field full of poppies and lilies and roses. I nod, but as we make our way to the field, I’m immediately reminded of Mina and how lonely she’d seem, standing far from everyone, gazing at Chaeyoung (or Seokjin) sadly. For some reason, I can’t bear this, and I turn to Mina, plastering a smile on my face. “Mina unnie, come with us. I don’t want you to be alone.”

 

Mina smiles back at me, but her smile wavers as her eyes dart to Chaeyoung. “It’s fine, Tzuyu.”

 

_It’s not fine, Mina. You have to get back with Chaeyoung. Distancing yourself from her will not work. I’m trying to help you here...!_

 

“Seriously, come,” I insist, grabbing her hand. “Please.”

 

“For god’s sake, Myoui, just come along,” Chaeyoung says harshly, causing Mina and I to both flinch. Mina exchanges a glance with me, then smiles weakly. “Okay.”

 

Chaeyoung and I lead the way, Mina trailing behind. It’s quiet, other than the soft shuffling of our feet through the grass, which gets taller and taller the farther we go. Chaeyoung squeezes my hand. “Geez, Tzuyu, your hand is so cold!”

 

“But my heart is warm,” I promptly reply. Chaeyoung stares at me. I stare back, trying to resist getting lost in her deep, warm eyes.

 

Mission failed.

 

Chaeyoung bursts out laughing, letting go of my hand to wrap her own around her torso. Her laugh bubbles out into the air. I can imagine it making the air fresher, cleaner, more pure. “You did not just say that, Tzuyu. Sometimes you can be hilarious without even knowing it.”

 

“Oh, really?” I say, raising my eyebrows. This only makes Chaeyoung laugh harder, as she turns away from me to admire the flowers. I take a few steps back to stand next to Mina, who is gazing after Chaeyoung as she brushes her fingertips along the flowers. We stand there in silence. I want to tell Mina that I’m not trying to make Chaeyoung like me, that I’m trying my best to make Chaeyoung forgive her. I have a feeling she won’t believe me. The closeness Chaeyoung and I have, and the possibility of what it could transform into, would plant more and more doubts into Mina’s mind.

 

“I know what you’re trying to do, Tzuyu,” Mina says, a soft smile playing on her lips. I glance at her, tilting my head, raising my eyebrows, and smiling in confusion. “Hmm? What am I doing?”

 

“Trying to get Chaeyoungie to forgive me,” Mina replies, her lips now curling into that soft smile. “I know you’re not trying to make Chaeyoungie fall for you. You love her, but you won’t take advantage of her emotions in that way.” She pauses, her eyebrows raised as she stares at me for confirmation. I don’t say anything. She guessed everything correctly.

 

Or perhaps, she knew about everything from the beginning.

 

I feel guilty, in a way, for my feelings towards the girl Mina used to be so close with. I’ve taken Mina’s place. I’m the new Mina, for Chaeyoung.

 

...No. No one will ever take Mina’s place. Because Chaeyoung loves her that much. No matter what Mina does to Chaeyoung, it won’t affect the way Chaeyoung feels.

 

“I love her,” I whisper. “I love her, Mina unnie, and I have to deal with the fact that...that there’s already someone else for her. There’s already someone she loves.”

 

Mina doesn’t say a word. She smiles again, and starts walking through the field, her eyes still on Chaeyoung, who is still admiring the flowers. Her hair rests on her shoulders lightly. Flower petals are tangled in her hair, only making her more beautiful. Happiness shines in her eyes, and that sweet smile that had appeared when I had made her laugh hasn’t left her face. She plucks a few flowers, then turns in our direction, her eyes landing on me first. She laughs, then holds up a bright blue flower, mouthing, _This is for you, Tzuyu._ Her eyes move to Mina, and her smile becomes more deep, more meaningful, more soft, almost shy, in a way.

 

Oh, the things pure happiness can do to one.

 

She tucks the bright blue flower behind her ear, and holds up another one. A rose. I wonder where she got it from. She nods to Mina, and mouths something to her, something that makes Mina beam instantly.

 

_This one is for you, Minari._

 

I’m not surprised. Some things are so strong, they compel us to do things buried deep in our minds, things we would never do if we were calm and composed.

 

“She hasn’t completely forgotten you, Mina unnie,” I murmur, watching as Mina’s beam grows wider when Chaeyoung drops the rest of her flowers and clasps the rose with both of her hands, holding it to her chest, her face dipped down, her nose brushing the tips of the rose petals. Her eyes are closed, and she seems to be breathing in the scent of the rose, like I could imagine her doing with her face buried in Mina’s hair. “There’s still hope.”

 

“She’ll go back to her normal self later,” Mina says, a hint of sadness in her tone, despite the wide smile on her face. “She’ll pretend this never happened. She’ll forget.”

 

“But it did happen,” I argue, resting a hand on her shoulder. “And I won’t let Chaeyoung forget. Never. It happened. She still cares for you, and she always will, no matter what you do to her.”

 

“I feel guilty now,” Mina says, her voice dropped to just barely a whisper, as if Chaeyoung was standing beside us, listening to our conversation, instead of basking in pure happiness over in the field of flowers. “For dating Seokjin. For hurting her.”

 

“There are things we do that we expect others to agree with,” I say slowly and calmly. If I make a mistake in what I say, I could blow it all. Everything depends on what I say now. “You weren’t aware of how Chaeyoung loathed Seokjin. Now, it’s up to you. You can break up with Seokjin. Or, you can keep dating Seokjin, but make Chaeyoung aware you’re sorry for everything. You could tell her something...”

 

Mina nods, the wide smile on her face shrinking to an alarmingly small one. It surprises me – no, it startles me. What could she be thinking about that caused her smile to shrink immediately? “I need to stop hiding it from her,” she breathes.

 

Hiding...what?

 

She shakes her head, and looks at me to meet my eyes, the small smile back to a wide one. “Thank you, Tzuyu. For everything. Maybe, Chaeyoungie and I will be on better terms soon, and if so, it’ll be thanks to you.”

 

“You’ll be on better terms,” I assure her. “I’ll make sure of that.” We exchange smiles, then turn back, watching Chaeyoung frolic in the field like a small child.

 

I’ve done my part. I’ve done it. I know they’ll be back to normal, and the line that has divided us will disappear.

 

Then why does my heart feel like it’s cracked, broken, shattered?

 

I’ve secured a spot in fixing their relationship.

 

Then why do I feel so lost?


	4. chapter 4

**One year later.**

 

Chaeyoung picked up a pencil.

 

She set it down, then picked up a pen.

 

She set that down, then settled on a paintbrush.

 

After thirty minutes of splashing different colors on the paper, she set the paintbrush down and grabbed her pen again, quickly sketching an outline of an apple and a pineapple.

 

As a senior, pressure was always on you about college applications. Chaeyoung, however, wasn’t stressed at all. She had made her decision on which college she wanted to go to – which was, obviously, an art university – and had already gotten the papers needed to apply to that university. Part of the application was to create a piece of art that was meaningful to you using different types of media. It sounded like what fifth graders would do in art class, but Chaeyoung knew the university would be looking for deep meanings behind the seemingly meaningless designs created. In reality, it was complicated, and tough.

 

She hummed along to music she was listening to on her phone. Part of the _Inspirational Playlist_ , which she would listen to while working on a piece or trying to get herself motivated to do something. _Fighter_ by Monsta X was playing, and she quietly sang to herself as she skimmed along the paper with her pen and sketched different objects in different places.

 

A faint sound, much like a doorbell, was heard.

 

_Hmm. Didn’t know Fighter had doorbells in it._

 

Chaeyoung ignored it, and continued working.

 

Her phone buzzed next. She checked it, and immediately, a bitter taste filled her mouth.

 

**From: Myoui Mina**

**Please open the door, Chaeyoung. Please. I need to talk to you about something.**

 

**From: Myoui Mina**

**I’m begging you, open the door!**

 

_Well. That seems urgent._

 

Chaeyoung got to her feet, hurrying to the door and throwing it open. Before her was Mina, sobbing, her hair in tangled clumps, strewn all over her face, which was red and pinched from crying.

 

_...What?_

 

“M-mina,” Chaeyoung stammered, immediately filled with worry and panic. Not a thought of Seokjin and Mina ran through her head as she steered Mina to the couch and brought her a glass of water. It wasn’t important. What was important was Mina. Chaeyoung sat down beside Mina, rubbing her back as Mina drank the water slowly. Finally, as Mina finished, setting the glass down on the table in front of them, Chaeyoung rested her hand on Mina’s shoulder. “What happened?”

 

“I’m sorry for not listening to your warnings,” Mina whispered, so quietly that Chaeyoung was straining to hear her. “I’m such a fool. So, so stupid. So stupid...” She started to rock back and forth, a habit Chaeyoung remembered from their childhood – whenever Mina was overly stressed about something, she’d rock back and forth, sucking her thumb. She was no different now, other than the thumb sucking.

 

“Tell me what happened,” Chaeyoung said gently, squeezing Mina’s shoulder for a brief moment. Mina inhaled a shaky breath, then met Chaeyoung’s eyes. “I should’ve told you about this before, but I was worried you wouldn’t believe me. That, and I believed I could handle it. It wasn’t as bad as it was today...” She took another shaky breath, and continued, pausing every few sentences. “I didn’t listen to you before. I disregarded all your warnings about Seokjin, and I was wrong to. I shouldn’t have gotten sucked into his charm, and his lies. Why didn’t I listen to you, I’ll never know. You’re my everything, Chaeyoung...I didn’t realize I’d lose you by doing this. And I was wrong, not to consider it.”

 

_I’m not your everything, Mina._

 

_If I was your everything, I’d be more precious to you than I currently am._

 

“Seokjin...he, like you said, isn’t the person he seems to be. He’s everything you accused him of being – a rapist, a disrespectful sexist...an abuser. He...he abused me. He was so kind and sweet the first few days of our relationship...then, when I told him something he didn’t want to hear, he started to hit me. He started to whip me.”

 

_..._

 

_What._

 

“I thought he was just angry that one day, so I never said anything. But when he kept hitting me, full of rage for what I had told him before, I wanted to leave him. I tried leaving him, but he’d find me. He’d hit me more. And he’d say if I told anyone, he’d kill me. So I couldn’t tell anyone. But I kept trying to leave. And every single time, he’d stalk me, find me, abuse me. I even tried hiding at Jihyo’s place, and he found me there.”

 

_That bastard._

 

“So, please, Chaeyoung...I admit I’m wrong. I’m sorry for not listening to you in the first place. Please, Chaeyoung, please...be my friend again. I don’t want to lose you, not ever. I don’t want to be apart from you anymore. Please...”

 

Chaeyoung didn’t know what to do.

 

All she knew was to say something.

 

And she did.

 

“Well, I don’t think he’s going to expect you here. So you’ll stay with me, for the time being, until we have this settled out. Okay with you?”

 

Mina’s eyes shone with gratitude. “Thank you so much...but I don’t have any clothes, nor do I have any of my belongings.”

 

“It’s fine. You can wear my clothes, and I’ll try to bring you back to your house one day to gather your belongings. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

 

“Thank you,” Mina said, more softly this time. She hesitated, then added, “Chaeyoungie.”

 

Chaeyoung didn’t protest, like she would have a year ago. She managed a weak smile in return, and waited for Mina to head to the guest room – the very room she had slept in when they were young and had sleepovers daily, even on school nights. The memory was painful to recall.

 

Then she did something she hadn’t done since last year, that day she drove Mina out of her house.

 

She cried.

 

She sobbed into her hands, her shoulders heaving, tears streaming down her face and dropping on her grey pants, blooming like flowers the second they hit the fabric.

 

She sobbed for herself. For not forgiving Mina earlier. For not looking out for Mina. For not considering the possibility of this happening.

 

She sobbed for Mina. For everything that had happened to Mina. For the wounds most likely festering on Mina’s back.

 

Not a tear dropped when Seokjin crossed her mind. They dried up immediately.

 

Chaeyoung rose to her feet, her eyes swollen and red. She knew what she had to do. She had to keep Mina safe. She had to make sure Seokjin would never find Mina – and never abuse her ever again. Mina’s safety, at the moment, was Chaeyoung’s number one priority.

 

Well, at least until she remembered one thing –

 

Chaeyoung had been ignoring (or rather, avoiding) Mina for the past year. They had been fighting for the _past year._

 

It wasn’t going to be easy, living with Mina. Even though Mina had apologized, Chaeyoung still couldn’t shake off her grudge, her anger at Mina’s actions before all of this had started. Yes, she had just cried for about fifteen minutes or so, thinking about how unfair she had been to her friend, but emotions were hard to let go of. Even though to Mina, Chaeyoung seemed like she had forgiven her, Chaeyoung really hadn’t. It would be hard, letting go of that anger that had built up in the past year. Chaeyoung took a deep breath, sitting back down, and rested her head in her hands. _I can’t just let this go..._

 

_...Or can I?_

 

Memories came rushing back to her mind.

 

_She twirled around, holding the flowers to her chest, laughing happily, like there was nothing in the world that could upset her._

 

“...Oh, right...”

 

Chaeyoung sat still as she recalled what had happened that one day, on the last day of their junior year.

 

_She turned to Mina and Tzuyu. Even from a distance, Tzuyu still looked way taller than Mina. Chaeyoung couldn’t help but giggle. She held out the blue flower she had picked for her friend, and said, “This is for you, Tzuyu!” She knew Tzuyu wouldn’t hear, but yet, she hoped the tall, mature girl would hear what she had just said._

 

“Right...”

 

_Her eyes moved to the slightly shorter girl standing next to Tzuyu._

 

_Myoui Mina._

 

_The girl she loved._

 

_The girl she would always love, no matter what happened._

 

_She tucked Tzuyu’s flower behind her ear, and rummaged in the pile of flowers she was holding until she finally found the one she wanted – the bright red rose. The one she had found all alone, surrounded by lilacs and daisies. It was one in a million._

 

_Mina was one in a million._

 

_She hesitantly, almost shyly, held out the rose, and softly said to herself,_

 

_“This one is for you, Minari.”_

 

_As soon as the nickname slipped out of her mouth, she felt like crying. How long had it been since she had said that? She missed saying it. She missed the person that nickname belonged to._

 

_She missed Mina. And she loved Mina with all her heart. She wished for nothing more than to tell Mina how much she loved her, and how much it hurt to treat the girl this way._

 

_Perhaps one day she would. One day._

 

Chaeyoung took another deep breath, remembering exactly how she felt that day. All she had wanted was to stop everything. She had wanted to stop being so cruel to Mina. She had wanted to tell Mina how she really felt.

 

 

She had wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Mina and tell her that she was sorry. That she missed her. And that she’d never leave Mina ever again.

 

_Well, now’s your chance, Son Chaeyoung._

 

_You can make up for everything you’ve done in the past year. You can repair your relationship with Mina._

 

_You can apologize for your treatment._

 

_You can get back with Mina._

 

“You know what?” Chaeyoung whispered to herself. “I won’t just keep Minari safe.”

 

_Minari..._

 

“I’ll make up with her. And I’ll make sure that we’ll be back together. I won’t let her leave without our relationship being fixed.”

 

With that, Chaeyoung knew she had something to accomplish.

 

And for once, she didn’t feel so lost.

 


	5. chapter 5

Chaeyoung had forgotten how quiet Mina really was.

 

It was like Chaeyoung was living alone. She would never hear Mina do anything, whether it be walking around from room to room, getting a drink of water, or even watching T.V. Whatever Mina did, it would be silent.

 

And on top of that, she’d barely talk.

 

 _What happened to the Mina who desperately tried to strike up a conversation with me every single day?_ Chaeyoung thought bitterly, watching Mina cook dinner for them. It had been silently (ha!) decided that Mina would cook for them every day. Chaeyoung usually lived on instant noodles and chips, due to her laziness – she never wanted to actually go to the trouble of cooking food for herself – and obviously, that wouldn’t be a proper meal for Mina. So Mina started cooking, and the two got homecooked food every day. Which, Chaeyoung had to admit, was much, much better than eating three cans of Pringles for dinner.

 

Meal plans aside, Mina just wouldn’t speak. She wouldn’t talk to Chaeyoung at all. Other than the occasional question of how Chaeyoung’s shower worked, or how the washing machine worked, there would be no discussions between them.

 

Perhaps this was also due to Chaeyoung’s hesitation.

 

She had vowed to herself that she would become friends with Mina once again. But emotions were extremely hard to let go of. No matter what Chaeyoung did, she couldn’t forget Seokjin. Even though she had told herself to forgive Mina, it was hard.  It made her feel beyond guilty, but again, it wasn’t that easy for her to forget something that had haunted her for about a year. And Mina wasn’t making any moves to persuade Chaeyoung to forgive her. She wasn’t taking action, either. So Chaeyoung had no reason to make a greater effort in forgetting the past and thinking about the future. All Chaeyoung had to do was become friends with Mina and keep her safe. That was it.

 

...At least, that was what she thought she had to do.

 

She didn’t think she had to fully forgive Mina, not just yet.

 

But something happened that completely changed her mind.

 

Chaeyoung leaned back in her chair, stretching. She was just about done with her artwork for the college application. It had been started three days ago – the day Mina arrived – and she had made quite a bit of progress. All that was left was to finish painting the background, add her signature in the corner, and she was done.

 

She got up, and glanced at the clock. It was 6:47 p.m. Mina would be heading down to make dinner. Chaeyoung felt a bit...dirty, what with all the paint stains on her clothes and the pencil smears all over her hands. She couldn’t go eat like this. She had to take a shower, first.

 

Whistling, Chaeyoung gathered her clothes, heading to the bathroom. She passed Mina’s room, and stopped, glancing in to check on Mina. The other girl was sitting silently on her bed, staring at her hands. _Silent as always, huh?_ Chaeyoung thought, chuckling. Some habits would never change. She started towards the bathroom again, when she heard a voice:

 

“...I miss her so much.”

 

_Wait. What?_

 

Chaeyoung quickly backtracked, crouching outside Mina’s room. The voice had come from that room, no doubt. Mina was talking to herself. Chaeyoung remembered how, back when they were kids, she’d catch Mina whispering to herself. Mina would only talk to herself in situations where she was scared, or nervous.

 

_Is Mina...scared?_

 

Mina’s voice was much, much more clear now. And so were the emotions that she was feeling. “I wish I could speak to Chaeng.”

 

_...Oh._

 

“I wish that I could just go up to her and start talking, that I could go up and hug her like before. I wish I could make her laugh again. I miss her laugh. I miss her voice, her smile, her pout. Everything. But I’m too scared. I’m so stupid...!”

 

_...Mina..._

 

Chaeyoung peered inside the room. Mina wore a sweet smile on her face, the very smile Chaeyoung would always fall for. “I remember how she would always tag along with me,” Mina said, swiping at her face. After a moment, Chaeyoung realized Mina was crying – and it was because of Chaeyoung. Again. _...Why am I like this?_

 

“We’d always spend time together,” Mina laughed sadly, keeping her head bowed. “I’d always listen to whatever she said. She protected me from...Seokjin, and she was so kind...I swear, I told myself to never forget that moment. I told myself that no matter what, even if I was mad at her, I had to remember what she did for me all those years ago. And yet...”

 

As Mina’s tears built up and spilled over, Chaeyoung’s built up emotions melted away, to be replaced with regret, and longing. How could she still not forgive Mina, even after all that had happened? So what if emotions, if grudges, were hard to get over? She’d get over them. She’d forgive Mina completely. She’d do what was right. And just protecting Mina was not right. No, she had to do much more than that.

 

_I have to make sure she feels loved, cared for..._

 

_I can’t let my feelings bring me closer to losing her forever. Screw what my heart says, it’s time to follow my mind. And my mind says to ignore past emotions._

 

As Chaeyoung, once again, headed to the bathroom, piled up clothes in her hands and a wide smile on her face, she realized something.

 

She hadn’t felt lost in a long time.

 

That is, ever since Mina came back.


	6. chapter 6

**Eight months later.**

 

“Okay, so I’ll come over tomorrow to help you move the stuff in your room,” Dahyun informed Chaeyoung, the two sitting in the living room of Chaeyoung’s house, discussing Chaeyoung’s moving plans.

 

The year was almost over, and with that came graduation. And along with graduation, came college. Chaeyoung had been accepted into the art university she had applied to, and it required all students to live in apartments or houses nearby campus, if they weren’t going to live in the dorms. The dorms, however, were outrageously expensive, so that wasn’t an option. Plus, Chaeyoung’s house was two hours away from university, so obviously, staying there wasn’t an option either.

 

Thankfully, Dahyun had already moved to an apartment only fifteen minutes away from the university. Her college, coincidentally, was not too far away from Chaeyoung’s. Even better, in that same apartment, all the rooms were occupied by their friend group – Nayeon, Jihyo, Sana, Momo, Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon. Chaeyoung bought a room eagerly, and now was faced with the obstacle of moving all her furniture there. She decided she would start living there before the year ended, to get used to the new atmosphere, and also because the others had already started living there as well.

 

Well, if Chaeyoung was being honest, the furniture wasn’t the only thing she had to deal with.

 

There was Mina.

 

Just five months ago, Mina had moved out of Chaeyoung’s house. Fortunately, the two had made up, and even though their relationship wasn’t as tight as it used to be, it was close enough. After escorting Mina to her house several times, and not being attacked by Seokjin, Chaeyoung declared that all was safe and Mina could return to her house. She was skeptical that Seokjin would really leave her alone, so she added that she’d visit Mina every two hours, which she did. Mina reluctantly agreed to the decision, and after taking all Chaeyoung’s former clothes (Mina had protested against taking them home, but Chaeyoung really didn’t care, plus it almost, in a weird way, excited Chaeyoung – knowing that Mina would be wearing _her_ clothes sent a strange tingle down her spine.), she permanently moved out and back to her house.

 

Chaeyoung and Mina would call each other every day, despite the multiple visits made by Chaeyoung, and they’d always update each other on what was going on in their lives. Not too long ago – and not too long ago meaning about two months ago – Mina told Chaeyoung how she had been accepted into the prestigious university for aspiring ballet dancers, and how that university was only two minutes away from Chaeyoung’s. She then asked if there was any place she could stay, as it was required for students to live no more than ten minutes away from the university. Chaeyoung, at that point, had already been informed about the apartment, and since there was one more room left, she offered it to Mina a few days later, who answered with a “I’ll let you know.” It was strangely vague and mysterious, but Chaeyoung figured Mina was busy at the time, and ignored it.

 

Again, this was two months ago. Mina hadn’t talked to Chaeyoung in _two months._

 

Chaeyoung sent a dozen texts each day. She called Mina about three times every hour, worried something had happened. And her worry only increased everytime she was answered by Mina’s voicemail – “Hi, this is Mina...please leave a message and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.”

 

So, for Mina, did that mean more than two months wasn’t soon enough?

 

What’s more, was that Chaeyoung had no idea where Mina had gone. According to her parents, she had moved out of her house, and none of her friends knew where she went. The last text Jihyo had gotten from her was from a month ago, and like the last text Chaeyoung had received, it was mysterious and vague. Nayeon, Momo, and Sana said the same – the last text they got from Mina was unlike her. The language was off, and nothing seemed right about it. Tzuyu reported that she had gotten a weird text from a random number saying that Mina was, apparently, “happier than she had ever been before.” Dahyun and Jeongyeon got the same texts as well, around the same time Tzuyu did.

 

This extremely worried Chaeyoung. But what could she do? Her schedule didn’t allow any free time to find out where Mina was hiding, and she didn’t know anyone else who knew Mina. She tried to move on, thinking that Mina would come back when she wanted to, and so did the others, even though they all knew they were lying to themselves – no matter what, they would fear for Mina.

 

Seokjin had not yet left everyone’s mind.

 

“Yo, Chae!” Dahyun snapped her fingers in front of Chaeyoung’s face, jolting her out of her daze. “You awake?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Chaeyoung muttered. “I just...need some space.” She had been drifting off often recently, and ended up being depressed and feeling almost suffocated afterwards.

 

Dahyun got up, an understanding look on her face. “Right. Shall I come back in about an hour or two?”

 

“Make that three hours,” Chaeyoung rasped, grabbing a bottle of water and chugging the water until the bottle was half empty. “It’s...worse this time.” She found it difficult to breathe, having to take deep, slow breaths, and her throat constricted, while her eyes filled up with tears that would most likely spill over as soon as Dahyun left.

 

“Just text me when you’re ready, and I’ll be back in a flash,” Dahyun told her softly, getting up and heading to the door. “I’m not gonna be far away, just over at the new café. Momo recommended it to me...last year.” She smiled sheepishly and left, shutting the door gently behind her.

 

Only two minutes after she had left, the doorbell rang.

 

Chaeyoung rose up slowly, suspicious. She knew it wasn’t Dahyun. It had to be someone else. Maybe the mailman? Or perhaps the pizza delivery guy? She had ordered those three pizzas over an hour ago, and they were supposed to come within half an hour. Slowly, slowly, Chaeyoung walked to the door, her hand wrapping around the doorknob, her other hand clutching a pocket knife just in case, and she pulled the door open quickly, wanting to get it over with –

 

“Hi, Chaeyoungie...”

 

There stood, in front of Chaeyoung, Myoui Mina. With her straightened hair curled at the tips, resting on her shoulders, a black purse slung over her shoulder, and a long white dress serving as her clothing, paired with black heels. Black and white.

 

She looked _beautiful._

 

Of course, compared to Chaeyoung, who was wearing sports shorts and a worn out grey t-shirt, Mina looked like a goddess.

 

But she was back.

 

“Wh-where have you been?” Chaeyoung stammered. “N-no, wait, come on in!” She waited for Mina to step inside before closing the door and hurrying over to the couch, where Mina was settling down. “It’s been two months, where were you?”

 

“I expected a happy Chaeyoung to greet me,” Mina said, pouting. _Goddamn, Myoui Mina, I think it’s time for you to STOP._ “Not you! Who are you? An imposter?”

 

Chaeyoung grinned, leaning over to hug Mina tightly. “Hi, Minari,” she whispered in Mina’s ear. “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too,” Mina whispered back, her arms wrapping around Chaeyoung’s torso. They stayed like that for a good thirty seconds, before Chaeyoung pulled back, her head filled with Mina’s intoxicating scent; a mix of flowers and a pleasant hint of vanilla. “So where had you gone?” she asked, desperate to know the truth. If Mina gave her some pathetic excuse about how she had to go to some camp or whatever, Chaeyoung would beat her up. She knew very well something had happened to Mina during the period of time in which she was absent – she could tell by Mina’s unusually improper posture, by Mina’s expression, by _everything._

 

Mina didn’t answer for a long time. She stared at her hands, and in turn, Chaeyoung stared at her. What could’ve it been? How could something be that bad? Was it maybe an abusive, yelling teacher? No. Mina wouldn’t be so down about that. Unless the situation had something to do with him.

 

Kim Seokjin.

 

Chaeyoung’s blood started to boil. Her hands clenched, forming tight fists. _If that bastard had even laid a FINGER on Minari –_

 

“I know I’ve said it many times, Chaeyoungie, but I was so stupid,” Mina said, her voice just barely above a whisper. “I should’ve listened to you. I didn’t know he’d go this far.”

 

“What. Happened,” Chaeyoung growled. _It was him!_

 

“That day you texted me,” Mina started. She paused, clearing her throat and rubbing her face into her elbow. “About the apartment. I, um, I was at Seokjin’s house.”

 

_FUCK._

 

_Why did I send her back home?_

 

“I was shopping, and, um, I passed his mother,” Mina continued. “She recognized me and invited me to his house. I couldn’t refuse, so I accepted and I had to quickly text you with that strange, vague response. I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be,” Chaeyoung muttered. “But that bitch Seokjin will be.”

 

Mina gave her a scolding look, but Chaeyoung knew her heart wasn’t in it. Mina despised it when Chaeyoung cursed, however, in this case, cursing was nothing.

 

Mina took a deep breath and continued on.

 

“His mother left me with him. And he seemed...kind. I don’t know. He knew we had split forever. But he was so nice. I told myself to remember your words, and thankfully, I did. I remained really cautious, greeted him, made small talk, and right when I was about to leave, he asked me if I liked someone else. And, um...” Mina hesitated before murmuring, “I remained silent, because I didn’t want him to know. But I guess he figured it out, based on that. At that point, he...he grabbed me. He threw me to the ground and started to hit me. I tried to defend myself, but he was too strong. He carried me up to his bedroom and...” Tears were flowing down Mina’s face at this point. She seemed to struggle to find acceptable words to finish her explanation, as she stammered for a few minutes or so while uncontrollably sobbing. Chaeyoung couldn’t move. She sat there, frozen, staring at Mina. She knew her body would spring into action once she heard the words.

 

_Say them, Mina._

 

_Say them._

 

“He raped me,” Mina finally choked out, breaking down completely after that.

 

_..._

 

“It was hard to escape, but I did,” the miserable girl continued after a brief pause for collecting herself. “I hit him and ran downstairs and out the door. I ran for miles. You should’ve seen me, Chaeyoungie, I was so fast, faster than you...!” Mina laughed, but Chaeyoung knew it was forced. The very sentence broke her heart. “I went back to my home. I locked the door, the windows, shut all the blinds, made it seem like I wasn’t home so no one would know where I was. I wanted to contact you, but I was scared that he would somehow find me. Like the minute I would open the door for you, he’d spring out with a knife and...” She trailed off, her eyes glazed, staring off into space. Chaeyoung could tell that she had been badly traumatized by the incident, by it all, really. Rape was no joke, and the shock must’ve been too great to bear after she managed to run away. Realization hit Chaeyoung like a ton of bricks – Mina could’ve been hurt, worse, she could’ve been _killed._

 

The only thing to do was to make the offender know this.

 

Chaeyoung rose to her feet, wobbling slightly. It must’ve seemed like she was the one to go through all this instead of Mina, based on her overall state at the time. “Mina, stay here,” she said calmly. Despite everything, her voice was cool and calm, betraying nothing of what she actually thought on the inside.

 

“Chaeng, I know you’re going to do something stupid.” Mina looked up at Chaeyoung, her eyes full of worry. She reached up and clutched Chaeyoung’s hands. “I can’t ask you to stop, so instead I’ll ask you to please keep yourself safe. If you get hurt, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself.”

 

Chaeyoung gave Mina a tight smile and pulled her hands out of Mina’s grasp. Now was not the time to be miserable and sad. What she was about to do didn’t call for this. It called for anger, burning, red-hot anger. And she found that it was easy to summon that anger. She imagined Mina, helpless, splayed all over Seokjin’s bed, with Seokjin standing over her, grinning that digusting grin of his, tilting his head, placing his hands all over Mina...

 

As Chaeyoung stormed out of the house, murderous intent fueling every stride she took, she didn’t realize that an ice-cold, bitter frost was creeping up all over her heart. She didn’t realize that that empty, helpless, depressed feeling was coming back, with another name to it.

 

She didn’t realize that she felt lost.

 

She didn’t realize that she felt lost...for Mina.


	7. chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ITS YA BOY YOONGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Chaeyoung was the hunter.

 

Her prey was Seokjin.

 

Those were the only words that ran through her mind as she stormed over to the one place she knew Seokjin would be at: the local bar. At this hour, it wouldn’t be too full; alcoholics tended to occupy the bar at a later time. But usually, for young adults like herself, any hour was the best hour. As long as you had a drink in your hand, everything was fine. And Chaeyoung knew that definitely fit Seokjin – based on her observations she had done years ago, which had come in handy, for once.

 

She pushed the doors open, her eyes taking a few seconds to adjust to the natural dim light of the bar. As expected, there were only a few people here and there. An older man sitting in the corner. A woman and her friend sitting right at the bar counter, ordering shot upon shot from the bartender, who looked concerned. As Chaeyoung scanned the room, her eyes finally fell on her prey.

 

_I found you, Kim Seokjin._

 

He sat at a large table, surrounded by a few of his sleazy friends, laughing hard about some dirty joke one of them had made. Chaeyoung fought the urge to march up to them and strangle Seokjin. How could he be so easy-going, after all he had done to Mina? Was he even aware of the damage he had inflicted upon the girl he had claimed to love? He must’ve been aware. He probably did it on purpose. He _wanted_ Mina to suffer. His sick, sick mind wanted Mina to always be reminded of him, no matter what she did...

 

Patience was something Chaeyoung usually lacked, but today, it seemed to overflow.

 

She took a seat in a dark corner not too far away from the exit, a glass of club soda in front of her. She’d wait. She’d wait for Seokjin and his buddies to leave. Then she’d follow them and, when Seokjin was alone, attack. He’d regret that he was ever born. He’d regret everything. And Chaeyoung would make him say it. She would force the words out of his mouth to bring back to Mina.

 

Minutes, perhaps even hours passed, as Chaeyoung schemed and Seokjin’s group talked. Fortunately for Chaeyoung, they seemed to be getting more drunk as time passed, ordering more and more beers and downing them in one swig. Their stable voices melted into drunken slurs. Chaeyoung couldn’t resist the grin that spread across her face as she watched Seokjin stumble over to the counter beside the two women and demand another round of beers from the bartender. He could barely hold himself upright. _Good. He won’t be able to defend himself when I beat the crap out of him. Asshole won’t be prepared for what’s coming, and I’m going to keep it that way._ She signaled to the bartender and shoved a few bills into his hands. “Treat those men over there to three more rounds of beers, on me,” she whispered to him, nodding towards Seokjin and his friends. “Don’t tell them I paid. Three rounds only, got it? After that everything’s on them.”

 

The bartender scowled. “They’ll be wasted after three rounds,” he muttered, fixing his nametag – it read _Min Yoongi_ – and giving the young men an ice cold glare. “Fucking bastards. They got nothing better to do than this.”

 

“They come every day?” Chaeyoung asked, confused now – and curious. She wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to know more about Seokjin’s daily routines, especially after he had ruined Mina’s life. _His life is going to be ruined now._

 

Yoongi snorted. “Every two hours, more like. They stumble in here, already half drunk and stoned, too. Then they order beers – nothing but beers – and they don’t leave until they’ve drank at least ten to fifteen rounds of beers and they’re completely fucking wasted. Sons of bitches can hold their liquor, I’ll give them that, but goddamnit, the way they come in here, it’s like they have nothing else to do.” He shook his head, looking down at the money in his hand. “I can’t kick them out, but I wish I could. And I wish I could return this money back to you; they don’t deserve it, but I can’t. Against the rules.” He let out a sigh, making his way back to the counter to pick up the beers for the men. As he left, he muttered something Chaeyoung probably wasn’t supposed to hear, but she did anyway: “He fucking _raped_ a poor woman, and yet, he comes in here bragging about it...”

 

_Bragging?_

 

_He BRAGS about raping Mina?_

 

_Hell no. Not on my watch._

 

“Hey, wait!” Chaeyoung yelled, quickly lowering her voice as both Yoongi and Seokjin glanced towards her. Thankfully, Seokjin was too drunk to give any thought to Chaeyoung, as he looked away without recognizing Chaeyoung and went back to joking with his friends. Yoongi headed back over to Chaeyoung, the bills she had handed him still clutched in his fist. “Yeah?”

 

“Uh, did you just say that...” Chaeyoung cleared her throat and blinked rapidly to stop the tears welling up from spilling over. It was hard to talk about Mina getting raped – she couldn’t think about it, talk about it, or hear about it without feeling a mixture of extreme fury and extreme sadness. “Ahem, that one of those guys...raped someone?”

 

“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” Yoongi grumbled. Nevertheless, he sat down beside Chaeyoung and faced her with a serious expression on his face. “Look. I don’t know why, but I get the feeling that you know those guys and the girl Seokjin raped.”

 

“You know his name?”

 

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “They’ve been coming for the past year or two, roughly the amount of time I’ve been working here. Of course I’d know his damn name.” He took a quick glance back at the handful of customers in the bar, most likely to check if any of them were getting rough with each other, and turned his attention back to Chaeyoung. “If you don’t know ‘em, I’m not telling you what I heard.”

 

“I know them, and I know the girl Seokjin raped,” Chaeyoung told him, swallowing hard as an image of Mina popped into her head. Innocent, quiet Mina, who had done nothing to deserve what Seokjin gave her. “I’m...close to her.”

 

“Ah,” Yoongi mumbled, giving her a small nod. “I’m sorry.” He waited for Chaeyoung to nod back in acknowledgement, then moved on. “Anyways, what I heard. Nasty stuff, nasty. He described everything in detail so vividly, I could imagine what happened.” He swiped his nose with one hand, the other hand clutching the money he had received from Chaeyoung so tight that the edges were starting to rip. Chaeyoung, as well, had curled her hands up into tight fists once she heard this from Yoongi, her fingernails digging into her palms. She predicted that she’d soon draw blood, if what Yoongi heard got worse and worse. “Just give me the general gist of it. Quickly.”

 

“Right.” Yoongi glanced back at his customers again, this time staring at Seokjin’s bunch, who had started to become restless. “Lemme come back to you – I’ll deliver their round of drinks, first. Unless you want them to leave.”

 

Chaeyoung shook her head fiercely. Yoongi grinned at her, a small, crooked, yet likable grin. He got up and made his way to the bar, leaning over to grab some beers from where he had stored them. Chaeyoung fidgeted, overcome with curiosity. She definitely didn’t want to hear the details of Seokjin’s raping of Mina – that would most certainly push her over the edge – but she wanted to hear his words from Yoongi’s mouth. She wanted to hear how he treated it all. She wanted to hear about his feelings. Perhaps, that would give her the push she was looking for, the very push that would enable her to look at Seokjin more coldly, the push that would allow her to murder him ruthlessly and mercilessly.

 

Before Chaeyoung completely lost it – her anger had slowly been rising as she imagined the sort of details Yoongi would tell her – Yoongi returned, sitting down and relaxing, unlike the stiff position he had taken up earlier. “Alright.” He opened his mouth to start, but snapped it shut, looking Chaeyoung up and down. “Hey. You okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” Chaeyoung muttered, rubbing her eyes. Tears had started to gather in her eyes, fat droplets threatening to spill over. She couldn’t bear imagining Mina going through all that. As time went on, a picture would form in her head, growing more and more vivid with each passing minute, not to mention more and more worse. It both physically and mentally hurt her – Seokjin, touching _her_ Mina like that...

 

“You’re not fine,” Yoongi said. Despite his harsh words, his tone had lowered reasonably, to a gentle murmur. “I’m asking you for the last time. Do you wanna know what I heard?”

 

Chaeyoung sucked in a shaky breath, hesitating for a few seconds as the tears in her eyes dried up. She had made up her mind, and she wouldn’t stray from her decision, no matter how emotional she got. She needed this.

 

“Yes.”

 

Yoongi huffed, leaning back into the chair. “Okay.

 

“Now, where should I start?”


	8. chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MENTIONS OF RAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6:49 p.m.

 

Three hours since Seokjin and his gang had entered the bar.

 

Seokjin stood up, wobbling. He clung to the back of his chair and grinned goofily at his friends, saluting drunkenly – and almost falling over in the process. “I’ll see y’all later,” he slurred, his stupid grin only widening when his friends held up glasses to him and cheered. “God Seokjin! God Seokjin!”

 

“That’s right, asses, I’m your god,” Seokjin arrogantly exclaimed, apparently still cocky even when he was drunk. They say when someone’s drunk, they tend to be more honest, but that wasn’t the case for good old Seokjin. “Worship me. I’m smarter than your fucking fathers. CEOs? Tell ‘em to fuck themselves, because God Seokjin is comin’ to...” He trailed off, hiccuping violently. After a few seconds, he regained composture, along with that sickening smirk, and continued. “God Seokjin is comin’ to throw them off their goddamn thrones! They ain’t gon get any money no more, because who’s gonna come?”

 

“God Seokjin!” his buddies chorused. With a satisfied smile, Seokjin let go of the chair and saluted again, proud of his ridiculous speech. “I’ll be off, then. And I want y’all...to drink until this bar ain’t got no damn beer left! For me!”

 

“For God Seokjin!” Seokjin’s men roared, causing the people around them to turn in their chairs and glare at the drunk men. Seokjin chuckled, and staggered towards the door, pushing it open and stumbling through the streets, eventually disappearing around the corner.

 

That was when Chaeyoung got up.

 

“Thanks for the info. I’ll get going now,” Chaeyoung said quietly, nodding to the man sitting beside her. Yoongi grinned his gummy smile (which reminded Chaeyoung of Mina’s smile and broke her heart a thousand times) and made the “fighting” gesture. “No problem. Good luck. If you ever need me, I’ll always be right here.”

 

Chaeyoung managed a small, grateful smile of her own, and, in brisk strides, made her way outside. Upon exiting the bar, she looked to her left – the direction in which Seokjin had headed – and spotted Seokjin retching against the wall, not too far away from the bar’s entrance. Chaeyoung wanted to laugh – in this state, Seokjin wouldn’t be able to do _anything._ He’d be an easy target, not to mention an easy kill.

 

Chaeyoung wouldn’t kill him, though. He was going to rot in jail instead.

 

_That’s right. Rot in fucking jail. For all the sins he’s committed._

 

_Including raping Mina._

 

 

_Chaeyoung stared at the table in front of her, a hand over her mouth. She felt absolutely disgusted and infuriated. An equal amount of disgust was displayed on Yoongi’s face, and his palms were starting to ooze blood, due to how hard he had clenched his fists while telling Chaeyoung of what Seokjin had said._

 

_According to Yoongi, Seokjin had started out the story by describing Mina as an innocent, beautiful young woman. Someone to protect. A fragile, delicate white flower._

 

_That he had crushed._

 

_In hysterics, Seokjin had continued, his description only growing more and more unbearable. It was most likely fueled by the howls and cackles of his men, who wouldn’t stop laughing at the disgusting things he was telling them._

 

_Yoongi shook his head before taking a deep breath. He then started to quote Seokjin’s actual words, what Seokjin had said._

 

_“I was playing the part of the caring, kind boyfriend. You know, you can’t advance on someone as small and cute as her! Girls like her are gonna call 911 if you so much as accidentally brush your arm against theirs. Especially if you’re pretty early into the relationship. I mean, we weren’t new or any shit, but I didn’t wanna scare her or anything. Even though we were really close...hah, she even said herself we were close, yet she couldn’t tell that all I wanted to do was fuck her brainless!”_

 

_With another shuddering, deep breath, Yoongi continued to quote Seokjin, his voice quiet. “So, you know, I was staying home and shit one day, and then my mom drags Mina into the house! God, was I happy. It had been fuckin months since I had seen her and fuck, did I get hard. My mom says that she had ran into Mina at some store or whatever, and that we should spend some time together, y’know? So she leaves and Mina and I are left. And even though I have the worst fucking hard-on in the history of hard-ons, I still manage to be cutesy and girly and polite. Like, man, I’m here wantin’ to fuck her real good, and I’m sitting like a damn fag, not doin’ a thing._

 

_“So, I can tell the girl’s uncomfortable as shit. And it gets me so damn turned on. You shoulda seen her! Her face was gettin’ all red and flushed and shit, and, like, she was fidgeting, right? Aight, and so as she gets up to leave, I wanna ask her somethin’ real outta the blue, and I ask her if she likes anyone else. And the bitch has the nerve to keep quiet...! Damn her! She really does fuckin’ like someone else! And I was gonna let her go, but fucking hell was I angry, and on top of that I just wanted to fuck her. Deadass. So I take her by the arms and drag her up to my bedroom, an’ I pull out my belt. My pants are slidin’ down my damn legs but I don’t give a shit, y’know?”_

 

_Yoongi pauses, breathing heavily. He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head before continuing on. “She’s squirming and kicking out and shit, but I hold her down with one hand and I strip her. Hot damn, her body! It’s a fuckin’ masterpiece! One day, boys, I’ll get ahold of her again and show y’all, because god knows if anyone has a body that fucking good. My fucking cock was about to fucking burst outta my damn boxers. I spin her around so she’s on her stomach and start whipping her back. God, the moans and groans she made. Enough to get anyone turned on. Can y’all imagine it? I’m whippin’ her, yelling ‘bout what a fucking cunt she is and how she had the audacity to betray me, and she’s in tears and screaming. And yet! Her skin is still, despite the blood and shit, still pale and sparkling. She has the driest skin, but that day it was so smooth and just fuckin’ perfect._

 

_“So I throw my belt to the ground. Here’s where it gets good, boys. I finally get to take off my pants and my boxers and my cock springs up like it knows what I’m gonna do. I flip the girl around and climb on top of her and I can’t help but run my hands down her curves and her breasts and...every fucking thing. I was fucking drooling. She’s a feast. A whole feast. She’s still kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs but her voice is so quiet that it sounds like whispers to me. I thrust in and god, is she tight! My cock was literally surrounded by heat, and it felt fucking good! And I thrust and thrust and close my eyes because it feels so damn good. I’m about to flip her over and cum in her ass, so I pull out, but that’s when the damn bitch reaches up and punches me. She HITS me. And she takes her clothes and runs out, jumps down the stairs and leaves. She’s running so fast and it all happened that I couldn’t even pull my boxers off. Bitch! Next time I see her, I’ll fuck her so hard she won’t know what happened. And I’ll give all of you men a turn. She’ll become a slut. Our slut.”_

 

_Yoongi abruptly rose to his feet and slammed the table with a hand. “Excuse me,” he choked out. “Bathroom.”_

 

_And he left Chaeyoung there._

 

_Chaeyoung, who was digging her nails into the table and imagining her fist crunching into Seokjin’s face._

 

_Chaeyoung, who was just about ready to flip the table and rush for Seokjin right then and there._

 

_Chaeyoung, who was overwhelmed with anger._

 

_Chaeyoung, who felt lost for Mina,_

 

_again._

 

 

“Kim Seokjin,” Chaeyoung muttered, watching the man vomit up what must have been gallons and gallons of beer. “You’re finished for sure today. I’ll make you regret what you did to Mina. To _my_ Mina.”

 

With a yell, Chaeyoung sprinted towards the offender and before he could look up, her fist smashed into the side of his face. He crashed to the ground, hacking up a mixture of blood and vomit. Shivering, Seokjin finally looked up at Chaeyoung, his eyes widening. “You...!”

 

“That’s right,” Chaeyoung spit, bending down and hauling Seokjin up by the collar of his shirt. “It’s me. Mina’s closest friend. Ask me why I’m here.”

 

Seokjin swallowed, not obeying. Sighing, Chaeyoung raised her leg and thrust her knee up into Seokjin’s crotch, _hard._ The man howled in pain, his hands moving towards his crotch. “I’ll say it one more time,” Chaeyoung said, her voice dangerously low. As much as she wanted to beat the man black and blue right then and there, she couldn’t. She had to keep calm. The time would come, eventually. “Ask me why I’m here.”

 

“Why are you here,” Seokjin whimpered, his eyes lowered. Chaeyoung, with her free hand, tilted Seokjin’s chin up so he was forced to meet her eyes. “I’m here because you’ve been committing a lot of sins,” she hissed. “Especially what you did to Mina. You’re scum, and I’ll make you say that out loud. I’ll force the words out of you.”

 

He had taken Mina’s smile away.

 

He had taken Mina’s laugh away.

 

He had taken Mina’s happiness away.

 

And for that, Chaeyoung wouldn’t forgive him. Not now, not ever.

 

She hurled her fist into Seokjin’s stomach, not caring for the blood that had shot out of his mouth and onto her cheek. There’d be more blood shed soon. She threw Seokjin back onto the ground and straddled him, digging her feet into his sides and pressing down onto his chest. Raising her fists, she unleashed a torrent of punches onto Seokjin’s face, not stopping even when she saw that the man’s face was almost completely doused in blood. Both of his eyes were black. Bright red blood was streaming down from his scalp, and mixing with the blood that had already been slowly dribbling from his lips.

 

More blood was shed, indeed.

 

Chaeyoung wasn’t satisfied, though.

 

This was nothing compared to what Mina had been through.

 

She got up and gingerly stepped on Seokjin’s ribcage. “God, no!” Seokjin cried out. But to of no avail. Chaeyoung rested her whole weight on his ribcage, standing on him now. She heard a few satisfying cracks, which were soon followed up by Seokjin’s screams of pain, and dug her feet in deeper, only smiling when multiple cracks were heard. She kneeled and threw a few punches towards his ribcage, which completely and utterly broke it. At least, based on Seokjin’s screams.

 

It was time to finish it.

 

Chaeyoung raised her fist...

 

“Do you really think I’m in that much pain, Chaeyoung?”

 

_What?_

 

Seokjin sneered up at Chaeyoung. “And did you really think I was drunk? Did you really think I didn’t know you were there?” He pushed Chaeyoung off, rising to his feet and brushing his shirt off. Chaeyoung was unable to do anything except sit there and stare at Seokjin in shock.

 

_The hell?_

 

“I don’t suppose Mina has told you,” Seokjin said, looking down at Chaeyoung in contempt and amusement. “My alcohol tolerance...let’s just say I don’t get drunk easily.”

 

“Then what the fuck was that?” Chaeyoung yelled, gesturing towards the bar. “You weren’t drunk? Then what was that fucking show?”

 

“I already had noticed your short ass,” Seokjin smirked. “And it was obvious you were watching me. I heard everything that pathetic excuse for a bartender told you, too. And guess what? It’s all true!”

 

“You bastard,” Chaeyoung snarled. She sprang to her feet and launched her fist at Seokjin. Only mere moments ago, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge it. But now? He easily did, tilting his head. Before Chaeyoung could pull her fist back, he grabbed it and twisted her wrist. “Fuck!” Chaeyoung cried out, tears welling up in her eyes due to the immediate, sharp pain. Seokjin brought his face close to Chaeyoung’s, his warm breath stinking of beer, and smiled slowly, baring all his teeth in a wide grin. “A for effort, but that’s not enough to avenge your dear, sweet Mina.”

 

Once again, Chaeyoung was thrown to the ground, this time landing on her wrist, breaking it. A hiss of pain escaped from her lips, despite the effort it took to not acknowledge the pain and let Seokjin know he had hurt her. She cradled her wrist, sweat dripping down her face and onto her legs. Only a couple of seconds passed before she was hauled to her feet, and this time, Seokjin wasn’t alone.

 

All his friends had joined him.

 

They surrounded Chaeyoung, forming a circle around her so she had nowhere to go. Seokjin stepped out of the circle and in front of Chaeyoung, his eyes flicking towards her broken wrist. “Ah, I see I’ve hurt you. Do you need to go to the hospital, Chaeyoungie? I’ll bring Minari!”

 

“Fuck you,” Chaeyoung growled, anger sparking within her again and drowning out the pain. “Don’t call me that. Don’t call _Mina_ that. She’s not yours, she never was and never will be.”

 

Almost abruptly, Seokjin’s smile melted and was replaced by a scowl. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes darkened. Anger had fully taken over Seokjin. He had lost control.

 

For Chaeyoung, that would be both good and bad.

 

She just hoped she would be able to take advantage of it.

 

“You and Mina both,” Seokjin rumbled, glaring at Chaeyoung with an intense anger that was no doubt really meant for Mina. “Unworthy, ungrateful bitches. Both of you deserve to rot in hell. I was there! I was there for Mina! I supported her, I loved her, I cared for her. I gave her what she was missing. And you? You should’ve been grateful. But no. You decided to come after me and turn Mina against me. So you’ll die. You’ll die and suffer like Mina will, too.”

 

_Like she will?_

 

Seokjin gestured at his men, who started to approach Chaeyoung. The dark look on Seokjin’s face slid off, and his pleasant yet sick smile appeared again. “I’ll fuck her again and again and then kill her. Imagine that! Imagine her beautiful, soft screams of pain! Imagine her repeatedly crying for you as I fuck her brainless. But you won’t be there! And then. Imagine the noises she’ll make when I sink my knife into her stomach. All the blood, the pure blood, just gushing out of her! How she’ll choke as I push it in further and further!” He tilted his head, eyes wide and smile wider. “You should be grateful, Chaeyoungie! Once she dies, you two will be together again! I’m doing you a favor!”

 

“I’m not letting that happen!” Chaeyoung screamed, surging towards Seokjin. “You bastard, you won’t touch Mina or even see her for as long as I live!”

 

He grinned. “For as long as you live? Oh, dear, Chaeyoungie is deaf! Did you not hear what I said before?”

 

Immediately, Chaeyoung’s arms were pulled back and a foot kicked her hard in her back, knocking the air out of her. She fell to the ground, gasping for air, but was unable to inhale anything. Her eyes fluttered and with each passing second it seemed like the men only got closer and closer to her face. “Is Chaeyoungie dying?” Seokjin asked, his voice faint. He was probably far away from the circle of men. “We should finish it up, then. Go at it!”

 

Fists were thrown. Chaeyoung was pummeled by multiple punches, all of them leaving a dull, aching pain where they had struck. Many of them were aimed towards her face, and in what seemed to be seconds, she was blinded by the steady stream of blood coming from her forehead. It was like what she had done to Seokjin – except this time, _she_ was Seokjin and Seokjin was her.

 

Her eyes were forcibly closed, Chaeyoung unable to keep them open after a series of hits aimed directly at her eyes. And god, did they hurt. It was like someone had fixed thorns in her eyes. Not to mention the aching pain all over her body. She couldn’t even move her arms, or legs. All she could feel was pain, some sort of hot liquid (probably her own blood), and fists. Oh, and more pain.

 

She was angry.

 

And she wasn’t going to give up.

 

“You fucking _bastards_ ,” Chaeyoung rasped, her hands twitching. “Don’t...you know? I’m not...going down...this easily. You think...you’ve won, but...you won’t get away...with it.”

 

“Is it because you love Mina?” Seokjin’s aggravating voice, again. This time, however, it seemed more clear and not as faint.

 

_Let’s see how he responds to reality._

 

“ _Yes, I love Myoui Mina!_ ” Chaeyoung shouted, all her strength being used just to speak. “And she’ll be better off with me than with you!”

 

“That is, if you survive,” Seokjin chuckled. All the men were laughing, but it was like their voices were in the background and Seokjin’s was in the foreground. Like his voice was right next to her. Like he was right next to her.

 

With difficulty, Chaeyoung managed to open one eye...

 

And there was Seokjin, holding a bat above his head and grinning maniacally at her.

 

“Lights out!”

 

Chaeyoung squeezed her eyes shut. There was nothing she could do about it now. It took so much effort just to breathe, even if Seokjin spared her she would die soon. Better to wait for the blow...

 

...which never came.

 

“Crap!” one of Seokjin’s men exclaimed. The sound of multiple bats falling to the floor reached Chaeyoung’s ears, along with another one, another one that was much more appreciated.

 

The sound of a police siren.

 

Or rather, police sirens.

 

“Damn it!” Seokjin cursed, just as the yell of a police officer reached Chaeyoung’s ears. “Freeze! You are all under arrest for rape and attempted murder!”

 

“Go, go, go!” Seokjin yelled. Chaeyoung could hear the rumble of feet pounding against the ground, followed by more feet – most likely the police officers. One more pair of feet followed, but it stopped right beside Chaeyoung. She opened her eyes slowly,

 

and was greeted by the sight of Mina, kneeling beside her, sobbing.

 

“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Chaeyoung wearily joked, wincing. She couldn’t even speak anymore. It hurt too much. But she didn’t care, because Mina was at her side.

 

“I never thought you’d do something _this_ absurd!” Mina cried. With trembling hands, she reached out and caressed Chaeyoung’s face, looking at her with a mixture of wonder and shock. “How are you even alive?”

 

“Because of you,” Chaeyoung replied simply, grinning. (She hoped it looked somewhat like a grin.) “I wasn’t going to die by the hands of those disgusting creatures.”

 

Mina only sobbed harder, her head hanging down. Chaeyoung didn’t care for the extreme pain she was in at that point – all she wanted to do was see Mina smile. That was her cure, her medicine and bandages. Mina’s smile. That was it. “Come on, Mina, stop crying,” she whispered, causing Mina to look up at her with red, swollen eyes and a wrinkled nose. “Don’t cry, okay? When I’m not there, cry all you want. But when I’m here, I want you to smile. Smile for me. Please?”

 

Mina laughed, sending warmth flooding through Chaeyoung’s body. She then smiled, her eyes still teary but full of happiness. Chaeyoung couldn’t help but smile back, despite how badly it hurt to do so. She had obtained the things Seokjin had snatched from Mina’s life – her smile, her laughter, and her happiness. As long as Chaeyoung was there, they’d always stay.

 

And Chaeyoung wouldn’t be lost.

 

Nor was she now. With Mina beside her, that was all Chaeyoung needed. She could’ve been seconds away from death and she wouldn’t have minded. Because with Mina beside her, Chaeyoung’s life was perfect. Chaeyoung was complete. No matter how much pain she was in, how sad or angry she was...with Mina, Chaeyoung forgot about all that.

 

With Mina, Chaeyoung wasn’t lost.

 

With Mina, Chaeyoung would never be lost.

 

Darkness started to swarm over Chaeyoung as her eyes closed. But she didn’t mind. Her hand was entwined in Mina’s, and even if she died like that, she’d be happy. Because she was with Mina, and that was all that mattered. A second before Chaeyoung’s eyes completely closed, she glimpsed Mina saying something. Something that started with “Chaeyoung, I...,” most likely. It was okay. Chaeyoung would ask what she had said later.

 

For now, she just wanted to give in to the blackness pulling her under.

 

Normally, Chaeyoung wouldn’t give in so easily. But this time, she would.

 

And why was that?

 

Because she wasn’t lost anymore.

 

With Mina to help guide Chaeyoung’s way,

 

_Chaeyoung wasn’t lost anymore._


	9. final.

_“She’s mine now,” Seokjin snarled, pulling Mina to his chest and wrapping his arm around her shoulders tightly. He gloated, smirking at Chaeyoung, who was behind bars, shaking the poles of iron. They would not budge, nor would they bend. As expected of a proper jail. A jail Chaeyoung wasn’t even supposed to be in._

 

_“Let go of her!” she screamed, glaring fiercely at Mina’s captor. “Mina, run!”_

 

_Mina squirmed and fidgeted, but Seokjin’s grasp on her was still tight as ever. Chaeyoung could tell, from the way Mina tried to twist and turn but couldn’t. Seokjin grinned, and ran his finger down Mina’s face, pausing at her lips for more than a few moments. “She can’t run,” he whispered. “I won’t let her. Especially not when we go home. I have something planned for her. Something...fun.”_

 

_“You bastard, let go!” Chaeyoung yelled, trying desperately to shake the bars. “You should be in my place! You’re the one who should be in jail!”_

 

_“Scream all you want, Chaeyoungie, but no one’s going to hear you,” Seokjin sighed, pretending to examine his fingernails. “While I’m gone, feel free to go to town with the thought of what I’m going to do to your friend. I bet you’ll be turned on...right?”_

 

_Chaeyoung’s eyes widened, and she dry heaved. She couldn’t possibly imagine the horrors that would happen to Mina in the next hour. She couldn’t let this happen. She had to somehow get Seokjin where he belonged: behind these bars._

 

_But when she looked up..._

 

_Seokjin and Mina had disappeared._

 

_A gut-wrenching scream escaped her lips,_

 

_interrupted not by the police,_

 

_but the steady beeping of a hospital monitor._

 

_...._

 

_Hospital monitor?_

 

Chaeyoung jolted awake, immediately sitting up. The first thing she noticed was the utter whiteness of the room she was in. She was lying in a white bed, her body was covered by white sheets, her head had formerly been on a white pillow, and the walls, not to mention furniture, around her were white. A T.V. was hanging on the wall in front of her, and its remote was lying on the white table beside her.

 

She was in a hospital.

 

Chaeyoung turned to her side and winced, feeling an ache in the side of her body, accompanied by the rustle of paper. She looked down, and saw that her arms were wrapped in bandages. Gingerly, she pulled her shirt up, and saw that her midsection was covered in bandages as well. The places she had been hurt the most were treated and wrapped, she figured. If that was so, then her face probably was wrapped as well. She rose a trembling hand to her face and felt...flesh. No bandages. Though there was some kind of sticky substance on her right eye – which was swollen and closed – but that was probably cream.

 

An IV drip was fixed into her hand, and sure enough, when she turned (this time slower than before, as to not awaken the pain again), there was a plastic bag full of liquid hanging next to her, alongside a monitor that displayed her slow heartbeat. Admittedly, despite the place she was currently in, Chaeyoung was strangely calm. The knowledge of Seokjin and his gang being chased by the police and Mina staying by her side as she rested was more than enough to settle Chaeyoung’s nerves.

 

But she was confused – how did she get here? Mina must have brought her here, for sure. But where was Mina?

 

Almost as if Chaeyoung’s question had been spoken out loud, a doctor entered the room briefly to check her vitals. He asked her a few questions, most of them pertaining to her condition and if she felt any pain. After a minute or two, he got up, smiling at her. “The young lady who brought you here will be with you any moment now. I believe she’s filling out some paperwork.” And with that, he left.

 

Only a minute after he left did Mina enter.

 

And god, she looked stunning.

 

Chaeyoung was in awe. Mina was practically sparkling. Her dark brown hair hung loosely down her back, and shone in the fluorescent light that the hospital lightbulbs were producing. Her eyes were bright and reflected every emotion she was feeling. (Mostly happiness. And that, in turn, made Chaeyoung happy.) She wore simple, casual clothing; ripped grey jeans, a black sweatshirt, and converse, but it looked like the fanciest clothing people had to offer to Chaeyoung.

 

In other words, Mina looked like a godsend.

 

Hell, she _was_ a godsend!

 

“Feel any better?” Mina asked softly, situating herself on the bench beside Chaeyoung’s bed. She reached out and tucked a strand of Chaeyoung’s hair behind her ear, causing the latter to feel like her face was on flames. (Hopefully it wasn’t showing. Then Chaeyoung would be screwed.)

 

“Still hurts, but not as bad as before,” Chaeyoung said, shrugging, She didn’t care too much about her condition – before, she had been close to death. And now, here she was, still alive. As long as she was alive, she didn’t care. What she did care about was Seokjin’s whereabouts. “Where’s Seokjin?”

 

Mina’s smile shrunk into a rather small one. “Well, the police did catch him, and now he’s apparently serving at least twenty years in jail, along with his friends. And he has to do up to ten thousand hours of community service, or so I’ve heard.” She let out a short laugh. “His parents didn’t even bother to hire a lawyer to get him out on probation. They think he should, and I quote, ‘rot in jail for the rest of his life.’”

 

“I think so, too,” Chaeyoung snorted. But she couldn’t help the huge smile that made its way onto her face. Seokjin was captured, and wouldn’t be released for two whole decades. That was one less monster society had to worry about.

 

Thinking about Seokjin, though, reminded Chaeyoung of what he had done to Mina.

 

“Did you get treated?” Chaeyoung gasped, giving in to a particular urge by reaching out and clasping Mina’s hands in hers. Surprise was evident on Mina’s face for a few moments; Chaeyoung never really initiated things like this, but fortunately the surprise melted away into a smile. “I did. After you got admitted, a doctor approached me and asked if she could examine me. She said she knew what Seokjin did and she wanted to make sure I walked out injury-free. It was very kind of her, especially since she insisted on doing it for free, so I agreed. She tended to my wounds, both outside and...inside, and said I’d be completely healthy in a few days.”

 

Chaeyoung sighed in relief. Whatever happened to herself was of no concern; Mina was someone who had to get treated, and immediately. “Good. I’m glad you’re fine.”

 

Mina’s smile broadened. “I’m glad you’re fine, too.”

 

Silence filled the room. It wasn’t an awkward silence, it was a comfortable, peaceful silence. Upon stepping into the room, anyone would be able to tell that the two people in the room had come to terms with their past, their present, and their future, and they were completely fine with it, now that everything seemed stable. Yes, it was quite the comfortable silence indeed, and Chaeyoung wanted nothing but to soak in it forever. To lay in a bed with Mina by her side and bask in this wonderful silence until her last days.

 

As long as Mina was there. Everything was fine when Mina was there.

 

Ironically, the silence was broken by Mina after a good ten minutes. “So...did you hear what I said to you before?”

 

Chaeyoung shook her head. _That’s right, she was saying something before I blacked out. I was gonna ask her later...now’s as good a time as any, right?_ “Nope. What did you say?”

 

Mina unexpectedly giggled, catching Chaeyoung off guard. Her giggle was cut off abruptly and she stared into Chaeyoung’s eyes, a more serious demeanor having taken over her. “You dummy,” she said in a low, deep voice, and in a sudden turn of events...

 

...she kissed Chaeyoung.

 

It wasn’t even a soft, sweet one. It was heated and passionate, and Chaeyoung couldn’t deny that she liked it. She couldn’t deny that she liked the way Mina’s hand ran through her hair, nor could she deny that she liked the way Mina bit Chaeyoung’s bottom lip briefly before pulling away.

 

Chaeyoung liked, no, _loved,_ everything about it.

 

And she loved the person who had kissed her in the first place even more.

 

“Chaeyoung, I love you,” Mina whispered, her forehead leaning against Chaeyoung’s. She smiled her adorable gummy smile, which never failed to melt Chaeyoung’s heart. “That’s what I said. I love you. I always will love you. And I was a fool for ignoring the fact that I loved you before. I was stupid for thinking Seokjin could have filled that hole in my heart, when only you could. All the times I got flustered seeing you, all the times I ached to see you, to see your smile, to hear your laugh...how did I not see it?

 

“ _I love you, Son Chaeyoung._

 

“And with you, I’m never lost.”

 

That was the end of their story.

 

Chaeyoung couldn’t help but think that.

 

The end of their twisted story was set in a hospital room, where Chaeyoung was bedridden and Mina not. Where Chaeyoung was staring into Mina’s eyes. Where Mina had told Chaeyoung she loved her.

 

Where Mina had told Chaeyoung that she wasn’t lost.

 

Not with Chaeyoung.

 

Chaeyoung found it funny.

 

It was quite the unexpected ending, of course. A happy ending, where there originally was a sad one. An ending in which the stuff of dreams had happened – and to Chaeyoung, of all people! Nothing this unfathomable ever occurred in her life. But here it was, in front of her, ready to be embraced and accepted.

 

It was the end of the path. The exit of a corn maze, the finish line of a marathon that weaved through forests and mountains. The path that had more than one break-away branch. Where one would have to decide, where to go next? Left or right? Or perhaps even straight? Maybe backwards?

 

On this path, Chaeyoung had come close to getting lost. She had almost taken the wrong turn plenty of times. On several occasions, she had entertained the idea of going backwards. Backwards would only get her where she had started, and that starting line wasn’t a very good starting line. But Chaeyoung didn’t know that. Not back then.

 

Ah, Chaeyoung thought, the path had finally come to an end!

 

How did she ever find her way out?

 

How did she manage to navigate the twists and turns, the horrors and surprises that awaited her at every corner? How was it possible that she had never gotten lost, not even once?

 

Because of something?

 

No, not something, but rather some _one_.

 

In this case, it was Myoui Mina.

 

She acted as the compass. The navigator. The map, the tour guide, the driver. She was there for Chaeyoung at every corner, every turn. She helped Chaeyoung clamber over hurdles and leap over gaps. Unconsciously, yes, but she had played a part in helping Chaeyoung find her way.

 

Somehow, Chaeyoung had done the same for Mina.

 

Both of them had allowed the other to not get lost.

 

And – this being a startling revelation to Chaeyoung, who was trying not to lose herself in Mina’s eyes presently – they never would in the future.

 

They hadn’t in the past. They weren’t in the present. They wouldn’t in the future.

 

Admittedly, there would be some distances. Some gaps where one fell and the other would be forced to move on.

 

There were in the past, weren’t there?

 

And Mina and Chaeyoung had just gotten back up and escaped the gap.

 

They found their way...because of the other.

 

Looking into Mina’s deep, warm, brown eyes, Chaeyoung could only sigh in both exasperation and pleasure.

 

The path really wasn’t done. No, it wasn’t.

 

In fact, it was far from done.

 

But Chaeyoung now had Mina by her side, to walk the path with her.

 

So were they going to get lost?

 

Chaeyoung didn’t think so.

 

fin.

 


End file.
